Yorkshire Law Society Welcomes New President

The new president of the Yorkshire Law Society took up office this week.

Michael Peach, a partner with Ware & Kay Solicitors, with offices in Wetherby & York, is to hold the post in the society's 228th year.

The Yorkshire Law Society is the second oldest local law society in the country and membership is currently open to practicing solicitors, legal executives, paralegals and university law lecturers together with some County Court Judges. The Society is there not only to promote the interests of its members but also those of the clients of solicitors in the Yorkshire Law Society area.

For a year, Michael will combine his duties leading the solicitors of Yorkshire with running his firm's Wetherby office. He hopes his election will encourage more members to join the Yorkshire Law Society and is firmly committed to meeting the ever changing needs of all practitioners within the Yorkshire Law Society area.

Michael is also very pleased to confirm that his charity of the year is to be Martin House Children's Hospice at Boston Spa, near Wetherby and he aims to raise a lot of money to support and promote the fantastic work that it does for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses and their families both during their lifetimes but also in the years following their bereavement. The hospice is the only one for children and young people in North, West and East Yorkshire.

Michael said "I am honoured to have been asked to act as the Society's President for this year, which is the first time in living memory that a solicitor practicing in the Wetherby area has held this post. I am looking forward to raising the profile of Ware & Kay and Wetherby as centres of legal excellence, whilst fully appreciating the responsibilities that come with this position. My priorities during my year in office will also be to raise the profile of the Yorkshire Law Society as a whole and to widen the society's membership. I will also be looking to strengthen the Society's links with other professions and organisations in the area".

Michael was born in Saltburn which, at that time, was still part of the old North Riding. He is a Yorkshire man born and bred, despite having grown up and attended schools in South Staffordshire.

He obtained a law degree at Newcastle University. Upon qualifying in 1986 Michael's first job was running the Wetherby office of Ware & Peters where he was made a partner in 1990. He has lived and worked in the town ever since. After having being in general practice for many years, he has more recently specialised in residential and commercial property work, with a particular interest in development sites.

His involvement in management issues has been assisted by achieving an MBA in Legal Practice Management at Nottingham Trent University in 1998. He is currently the firm's Senior Responsible Officer for the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

Published: May 2014